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Only one of the 11 primary-election candidates for Luzerne County Council will be eliminated from the race after the May 21 primary.

Five countywide seats on council are up for grabs in an at-large contest in November. Five Democrats filed to run for five nominations, and six Republicans are seeking five nominations.

Three incumbents are running in the primary: Republican Harry Haas, Republican Eugene Kelleher and Democrat Linda McClosky Houck. They have been supporters of policies and initiatives from county Manager Robert Lawton and all voted for the 2 percent increase in the property tax rate in 2012.

Three Democratic candidates - Michael Giamber, Renee Ciaruffoli-Taffera and Richard "Kick" Heffron - were active in the county home-rule movement. Heffron was elected in 2009 to serve on the commission that wrote the home-rule charter.

Voters in 2010 approved the charter to abolish a state-mandated form of county government. Giamber was chairman of the campaign committee that supported the charter, and Ciaruffoli-Taffera also was active with the pro-charter committee.

The first home-rule council election was two years ago. A total of 49 candidates ran in the 2011 primary, which determined 11 Democratic and 11 Republican nominations.

In the 2011 general election, the 11 candidates with the most votes won at-large seats on council. The top six won four-year terms, and the next five won two-year terms.

Republican Kathy Dobash won a primary nomination two years ago and finished 15th in the general election. Dobash is running again in the May 21 primary.

So is Democrat Eileen M. Sorokas. In November 2011, Sorokas just missed winning a two-year term on county council by finishing 12th.

The three other Republican candidates in the May 21 primary election are: Paul DeFabo, Sue Rossi and Alex Milanes.

The five candidates with the most votes in the upcoming general election in November win four-year terms. In addition to eliminating one of the 11 primary candidates, the May 21 election will determine general-election ballot position.

The party nominee with the most primary votes is listed first in the party slate of five, and order goes from most primary votes to least.

Each county council member is paid a part-time salary of $8,000 a year. The council chairman is paid $10,500 a year.

The incumbents

Haas, Kelleher, McClosky Houck, Democrat Elaine Maddon Curry and independent Rick Williams won two-year terms in 2011. Maddon Curry decided against running this year, and Williams may run again as an independent in the November general election.

Haas, Kelleher and McClosky Houck have all said paying down the county's debt is a top issue. The county is obligated to pay more than $430 million in debt payments through 2027 to cover principal and interest costs.

"The county must keep a tight rein on all expenditures," Kelleher said.

About 20 percent of the county general fund budget is earmarked for debt payments. Because of the "overwhelming debt that was incurred by previous administrations," council "must streamline and consolidate government operations and find new and more economical ways" to fund services and operations, McClosky Houck said.

Haas has defended the incremental approach of the new government, explaining Lawton and council members "are inching toward the right goal" and "laying the foundation for a solid future."

Haas said he met a 2011 campaign pledge to hire the "most qualified, experienced, and trustworthy county executive" when council hired Lawton as the first permanent manager of the home-rule government.

"I still believe that Bob Lawton is that man," Haas said in February.

Republican nonincumbents

Since home rule took effect last year, Dobash has been busy filing open records requests for county information. She is appealing a county decision requiring her to pay $10,000 for access to emails from council members.

Dobash also has criticized council members for circumventing the Sunshine Act by sending emails to each other instead of discussing public issues during public meetings. She promised she would not vote to raise taxes and added she wants to "accelerate funding for repairs" at Moon Lake Park, the county park in Plymouth Township.

DeFabo said "the county needs to re-establish its debt rating" to reduce debt costs.

"It will not be easy, but I believe it can be done," he said.

DeFabo said he wants "a review of all county programs to determine whether any programs can be cut, reduced, or eliminated to reduce taxes." He added the county "must continue to help those in need, but do it more efficiently."

Milanes said he wants "to roll back" the 2 percent increase in the property tax rate approved by council last year and would support "a fair and proper assessment of properties by trained professional assessors."

He added he wants "to restore good government and infuse some new blood while working with my peers for the betterment of the county." He also proposed a tax amnesty plan to recover uncollected property taxes by forgiving "fees and penalties for property owners currently in arrears."

Rossi said she will "work hard to reduce the debt and in turn lower taxes." She also said the home-rule government "must be accountable and transparent in order for it to stand a chance at correcting the wrongs done in the past and to succeed."

Democratic nonincumbents

Giamber, Ciaruffoli-Taffera, Heffron and Sorokas have criticized Lawton and council members for ignoring charter requirements. The violations include allowing interim appointees to serve beyond charter-established limits and failing to adopt a three-year financial plan.

"Our new council is setting a precedent by not obeying our new laws," Heffron said.

Ciaruffoli-Taffera said she would advance home-rule reforms "by strictly adhering to the charter, emphasizing merit and equality in all decisions, and holding the manager to task." Sorokas said an "in-house committee" should address "deviations from the charter" and recommend corrections.

Giamber has said a "serious violation" of the charter was spending $2.3 million more than the amount allocated in the 2012 general fund budget. Giamber has blasted council members for not addressing that violation.

mbuffer@citizensvoice.com

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